Faculty Senate

The Faculty Senate is the legislative arm of the faculty. As such, the faculty delegates to the senate its powers and responsibilities as affecting the academic policies and programs, faculty affairs, and the general welfare of the university in accordance with the provisions of Article III.

The Faculty Senate has a dedicated email for agenda items, questions, and other business pertaining to Faculty Senate.  Please send your information or questions to facultysenate@uwrf.edu

   

Faculty Senate Meeting Agenda

Date: Wednesday, April 10^th, 2024, 3:30-5:00 PM.

Location: Willow River Room, UC 334. Physical attendance is strongly encouraged. Via Zoom, please use the link below.

http://tiny.cc/faculty-senate-meeting

1. Call to order.
2. Seating of substitutes.  
3. UWRF land acknowledgment.

The University of Wisconsin-River Falls sits on the shared ancestral lands of the Anishinaabe and the Dakota Nations and Tribal Communities. Acknowledging our university’s historical contributions to the disenfranchisement of indigenous communities, we declare a standing commitment toward campus-wide education, increased awareness of current indigenous issues, and the development of sustainable partnerships with indigenous nations of the area.

4. Chair report
   1. The Chancellor created the ad-hoc Administrative Committee over Committees (ACOC). Its charge is linked here.
   2. From the Shared Governance meeting with the UWRF leadership: there are around 10 programs that concentrate most of our majors. They will be prioritized in the upcoming budget considerations. 
   3. A tentative Faculty Senate meeting is scheduled for May 15 (3:30—5:00). This may be necessary to accommodate the election schedule. An announcement will be made at our next meeting.

 

5. Officer reports.  

 

 

6. Approval of old minutes.
   1. Minutes of 03-27-2024 (AY 2023-2024).

 

 

7. Old Business.

 

1. (First reading) Motion from the Faculty Senate Executive Committee:  Realign the Duties of the Academic Standards Committee and the Academic Program and Policy Committee. The full text of the motion is here. Auxiliary document available here.
2. (First reading) Motion from the Executive Committee to revise the membership of the Academic Standards Committee as formulated below. This will be included in the Faculty and Staff Handbook.
   1. 1. 3.3.3.2 Academic Standards Committee

 

1. 1. 1. 1. Membership
         2. Two (2) faculty from each college (CEBAH, CAFES, CAS) with at least one who is a member of the graduate faculty.
         3. Dean, or designee, of each college (CEBAH, CAFES, CAS).
         4. Dean of Students Office representative, as an ex-officio, non-voting member.
         5. Registrar or designee.
         6. Up to three (3) students.

 

3. Motion to appoint Doug Margolis as chair of the Faculty Welfare and Personnel Policies Committee (2024-2025). The chair of this committee gets a 3-credit release over the academic year.

 

4. From the APP, motion to approve the Computer Science and Information System major program change (CAS). Documents are available here.

 

 

8. New Business.

 

 

1. Motion to appoint Logan Kelly to the Administrative Committee over Committees (ad-hoc committee set to be sunset at the end of May 2024).
2. Motion to appoint Elizabeth Schneider as chair of the Academic Standards Committee (2024-2035). The chair of this committee will get a 3-credit release over the academic year. 
3. Motion to appoint Logan Kelly as chair of the Assessment Committee (2024-2025). The chair of this committee gets a 6-credit release over the academic year.

 

4. Motion from the Faculty Welfare & Personnel Policies Committee to revise immediately upon Faculty Senate and the Chancellor’s approval the Faculty and Staff Handbook, Ch. 4.1.12.4 Eligibility to Vote as follows. 

PROPOSED LANGUAGE

4.1.12.4 Eligibility to Vote

All those IAS and Tenure Track faculty currently at more than 50% FTE in the department and who are in at least their fourth semester of continuous service (not counting the

summer session) and who have not received a letter of nonrenewal are eligible to vote. If voting eligibility questions arise, the current chair will determine eligibility, subject to approval from the Dean.

 

CURRENT LANGUAGE with Markup (red strikethrough = delete, blue = addition)

4.1.12.4 Eligibility to Vote

All those full-time members of IAS and Tenure Track faculty currently at more than 50% FTE in the department and who are in at least their fourth semester of continuous service (not counting the summer session) and who have not received a letter of nonrenewal are eligible to vote. If voting eligibility questions arise, the current chair will determine eligibility, subject to approval from the Dean.

 

Current Language Without Markup

4.1.12.4 Eligibility to Vote

All those full-time members of the department and who are in at least their fourth semester of continuous service (not counting the summer session) and who have not received a letter of nonrenewal are eligible to vote.

RATIONALE (to include with motion)

The new language clarifies that:

1. both IAS and Tenure Track Faculty are included in this policy;
2. eligibility requires more than 50% FTE in the department and that current, continuous service is expected; and
3. additional questions regarding eligibility will be determined by the current Chair with

oversight from the Dean.

 

 

5. Motion from the Faculty Welfare & Personnel Policies Committee to revise immediately upon Faculty Senate and the Chancellor’s approval the Faculty and Staff Handbook CH. 4.5.2 (e) by deleting the words “a one time” as follows:

Current Language with proposed language markup 4.5.2.e e. If the faculty member’s performance is deemed to “meet expectations,”

The Department Chair will recommend to the Dean an appropriate recognition for achieving a “meets expectations.”

Recognition may be in the form of a one-time additional compensation, reassigned time for professional development, or another appropriate recognition.

If approved by the Dean, the recommendation will be forwarded to the Provost.

---------------------- END of HANDBOOK LANGUAGE------------------------------

 

Proposed Language 4.5.2.e e. If the faculty member’s performance is deemed to “meet expectations,”

The Department Chair will recommend to the Dean an appropriate recognition for achieving a “meets expectations.”

Recognition may be in the form of additional compensation, reassigned time for professional development, or another appropriate recognition.

If approved by the Dean, the recommendation will be forwarded to the Provost.

---------------------- END of HANDBOOK LANGUAGE------------------------------

 

RATIONALE (to include with the motion)

1. FW&PP discussed PTR and the language of Ch. 4.5.2.e at two meetings (2/15/24 and 3/14/24). The committee invited Brenda Boetel, Chair of Faculty Compensation, who explained the 100k Faculty Adjustment Plan. Further, Dave Ruhland, the AVC of Finance & Administration, shared BOR and UW SYSTEM policies regarding compensation with the committee. Based on these documents and discussions, the committee felt that the original FS Executive Committee recommendation to delete the incorrect information from CH. 4.5.2.e provided the best course of action.

 

 

 

9. Adjournment.

 

Notices.

• The schedule for Spring 2023-2024 is below.      

All meetings are held in the University Center, Willow River Room (334)

 

April 24, 2024, from 3:30—5:00

May 8, 2024, from 3:30—5:00

May 15, 2024, from 3:30—5:00 (tentative)